


Home for Christmas

by InfernalPume



Category: Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Bad Parenting, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Gen, bless her, or at least Deryn seems to think so, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 21:54:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9258923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfernalPume/pseuds/InfernalPume
Summary: Prompt: Please do Christmas/holiday season fluff!Deryn is late coming home for the holidays.





	

It had to be the worst commute Deryn has endured in a very long time. It certainly was the longest; the _Mazikeen_ had engine troubles on the way back to London and had to stop in a rural airfield After that the train into the city was late, Deryn had to rush through the terminal just to beat the wave of travelers squabbling over a cab. Sitting in the cabbie back was the worst however, traffic slow with last minute shopping, all the while Deryn could only picture the quivering lips of two crestfallen lassies waiting for their Ma to be home in time for Christmas Eve.

 

Stubbornly she refused to check her watch, but Deryn knew she already missed the turkey by the time she catches sight of her street. From the dim lighting she can see from the front steps Deryn knows they’ve already sung the songs as well. Her key paused an inch from the lock, before Deryn exhaled and opened the door to her house, finding it dark and silent inside. The flickers of light had been nothing but dying embers in the fireplace, upon checking her watch Deryn groaned. Past midnight. _Far_ past midnight.

 

With a groan Deryn thudded her head against the doorframe again and again, knowing full well both the twins and Alek were in bed by now. There’s a guilty glance towards the tree, all tinsely and laiden with presents as Alek had to preform the ritual alone _again._

 

Deryn could speak five different languages, sketch any of the beasts used in the service from memory, read flags as easily as a fortune cookie, but for some reason this whole mothering business was a complete enigma. Times like these made Deryn feel like she had to be the worst mother in Britain, a lofty statement considering Deryn’s own Ma was still alive and pretending Jaspert was an only child. Really, it was more then just putting presents under a tree. It was knowing when to stop Marina from doing something daft, or how to make Emmaline stop crying when she had those fits of hers. The best thing Deryn could to in these situations was locate wherever Alek or the Nanny was in the house and leave it to one of them.

 

Feeling like an utter failure, Deryn dropped her pack by the door and lurched up the stairs. Part of her didn’t even want to slip into bed, didn’t want to hear Alek insisting that it was alright and the girls would be just as excited to see her in the morning. Even so, it wasn’t like she could just sleep on the sofa, nor did she particularly want to.

 

“Ah!”

 

Deryn froze in the upstairs hallway at the gasp of surprise, two large green eyes pinning her in place on the landing. A feeling of hurt wrenched through Deryn’s gut when she saw the expression on the wee lassies face, feeling like an intruder in her own home.

 

The poor girl looked utterly terrified upon seeing her mother, hunched over in her little nightdress as she clung desperately to the padlock on the bookshelf-

 

“…Emmaline what are you doing?” Deryn asked, noticing what she was doing with her hands.

 

“N-nothing Mummy.’ Emmaline said, jumping up to try and hide something behind her back that clinked with movement.

 

Deryn frowned and knelt, extending a hand expectantly. Emmaline whined and wriggled in place, but a look back to Deryn’s gaze made her squeak and present a small velvet sack.

 

It seemed to be the sort that young ladies kept their jewelry in, Deryn had expected something rather more naughty. With a look inside however, Deryn found butter knives and letter openers sharpened to needle like points.

 

“Are these…shivs?” She asked with an arched brow.

 

“No Mummy.” Emmaline said, socked feet shuffling on the wooden floors.

 

“Lockpicks?” Deryn questioned further.

 

This seemed to be the correct answer as Emmaline flinched and looked away. Deryn looked to the large padlock she had been clinging to and snorted.

 

“You were trying to pick the lock again, weren’t you?”

 

“N-no Mummy!” Emmaline finally responded, although it wasn’t very convincing, “I slipped and fell and grabbed onto the lock when trying to stand up!”

 

Again Deryn snorted out a laugh.

 

“Aye, and what are these then?” she asked, holding up a nail file that had been widdled down to a pick.

 

“Self defense!” Emmaline said, stamping her little foot, “I was going to get some water and didn’t want to be attacked!”

 

Deryn shook her head and stood.

 

“Well, then it’s a good thing I’m here to protect you now, isn’t it?” she said with a smirk, “I’ll be escorting you safely back to bed.”

 

“But my water!” Emmaline complained, eyes wide as she pouted up at Deryn, “Mummy, can you get me some water?”

 

Deryn glanced between her and the padlock and sighed, pulling a pin from her head. Kneeling, Deryn took the padlock in hand and managed to get it open on the second try before straightening and heading downstairs.

 

“There’s a box full of pins in my bathroom,” Deryn said, “I don’t you fiddling with these, they’re too sharp.”

 

The moment she was out of sight Deryn could hear Emmaline’s scramble of limbs as she tried to swipe as much as she could before Deryn came back. That lassie was a maniac with her books.

 

When Deryn returned with the water Emmaline was standing innocently by her bedroom door. Deryn noticed that she held bulges in her nightdress awkwardly, and when offered the glass she turned a little pink.

 

“Um…can you bring it in? Marina will be so happy to see you’re here!”

 

Deryn smirked. Crafty devil, her little Emmaline.

 

But it was true enough, Emmaline returned to her room to find Marina looking irritable and about to launch into a scolding. Upon spotting Deryn however, the girl’s face lit up.

 

“Mummy!” she squealed, rushing forward to cling to Deryn’s legs.

 

“Aye lassie, its me,” Deryn said warmly as she stroked her back, “Had to make sure your sister didn’t get attacked, didn’t I?”

 

At this Emmaline froze in her corner of the room, shielding the hoard of books she had under her pillow with her body.

 

“Mummy, Emmy does this every night!” Marina complained, pointing an accusatory finger at her sister, “Tell her she’s in trouble!”

 

Deryn’s mouth twitched at the request. Parenting time was starting a little early it seemed. On the one hand Marina had a point, Emmaline had a nasty habit of staying up all night and falling asleep in her breakfast the next day. But on the other Deryn had enabled Emmaline herself. Though maybe both these reasonings were just excuses she told herself. Maybe Deryn was afraid of either girl not liking her.

 

“Um…” Deryn managed, “Well, you’re up too aren’t you Marina?”

 

Marina turned pink as Emmaline laughed at her.

 

“But I was just awake to…” she tried to think of an actual reason, but failed.

 

Deryn began to panic. Think of _anything_ to say.

 

“Well…its alright tonight because…Christmas?” She hoped that her daughters didn’t recognize the uncertainty in her voice.

 

It seemed to work at least, Marina was pacified and Emmaline satisfied her heist had been successful. Deryn was lead by the hand to Marina’s bed where she sat and awkwardly stroked her daughter’s hair in a way she hoped was soothing and maternal. Even Emmaline abandoned her secret little library to come lay her head in Mummy’s lap, trapping Deryn in bed with them for the night.

 

Deryn could just about hear her second in command Peterson laughing at her from all the way in Wales, but contentedly lay pack on the frilly pillows to shut her eyes just for a little bit. Fully aware she’d never live it down when Alek discovered them in the morning, Deryn held her girls close and allowed herself to slip off to sleep.


End file.
